At the Governor’s Conference on Economic Development, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens announced several initiatives to strengthen the state’s economy and help spur job creation for Missouri families.
“It’s time for Missouri to do different in our approach to economic development,” said Governor Greitens. “We are breaking down barriers and making it easier for businesses to create more high-paying private sector jobs for Missouri families.”
The Governor’s strategy includes several important pillars: reducing red tape, improving training for Missouri’s workforce, and encouraging small businesses and entrepreneurs to start and grow in our state.
Missouri is overhauling its current jobs training program to become more robust and responsive to businesses’ workforce and training needs. The Department of Economic Development is launching the Skilled Workforce Missouri program to ensure that businesses have access to skilled labor. Instead of requiring multiple forms, there will be one application. With a single click, businesses can find the perfect training solution that meets their needs. They can also access recruitment tools to connect with qualified candidates. Leggett and Platt and 3M are the first companies to enroll in this new program.
“We’ve had a problem in this state for far too long,” said Governor Greitens. “Businesses need workers. Missourians need jobs. Before, if you wanted to grow jobs and needed trained employees, you had to call dozens of colleges, and schools, and other programs. Now, you can contact the Department of Economic Development. They will be a one-stop shop to help businesses find skilled workers, and Missourians get the skills they need to find jobs.”
The companies that already call Missouri home are creating the majority of new jobs in our state. In fact, existing businesses assisted by the state of Missouri created 88 percent of all the new jobs for the fiscal year 2017 project expansions and were responsible for 71 percent of the capital investments in communities throughout the state. To improve the support for businesses operating in our state, Missouri is working across state government to cut regulations and streamline services.
The Department of Economic Development is launching a statewide customer service platform that serves as a unified approach to economic development—making it easier for businesses to access the services they need. The platform will allow local and state economic developers to better target, analyze, track and serve businesses that are considering expansion opportunities or need assistance mitigating issues.
“We need to help more Missouri businesses grow and expand in Missouri,” said Rob Dixon, Acting Director for the Missouri Department of Economic Development. “A well-organized effort between our state agency and our local partners will maintain and improve this area of job retention and growth—and show that we are serving and supporting businesses from a unified front.”
Missouri has an extensive suite of recruitment and training resources for businesses that want to expand or come to Missouri. We have a network of 12 Community Colleges, a State Technical College, 50+ technical centers, 30+ job centers, and 10 workforce regions all standing by, waiting to serve our business community.
“Unfortunately, business leaders often scratch their heads in confusion as they wade through the complex, bureaucratic maze of workforce resources.” said Dixon. “We are taking steps to make it easier for businesses to get the services they need quickly.”
Earlier this week, Governor Greitens received the Governor’s Innovation Task Force report, which included a variety of bold options to help grow entrepreneurship in Missouri.
In receiving the report, Governor Greitens said: “Missouri is ready to lead, but we’re going to have to embrace more bold ideas to build a thriving, prosperous economy. The Task Force’s option of a new Missouri innovation fund is the sort of bold thinking we need. I’m excited that my team will be working with private sector leaders and legislative leaders to make ideas like this a reality.”
For more information on Missouri contact Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, at 314.725.2688 or via our contact form, with any questions you might have, and learn how Missouri Partnership can help with your business expansion and investment needs.
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